Thomas Sanders Dupuis, Mus. Doc. (1733–1796) was a

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

of French extraction, born in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. He succeeded

William Boyce William Boyce may refer to: *William Boyce (composer) (1711–1779), English-born composer and Master of the King's Musick * William Binnington Boyce (1804–1889), English-born philologist and clergyman, active in Australia *William Waters Boyce ( ...

at the Chapel Royal, and was regarded as one of the best organists of his day. His published work includes ''Nine Voluntaries for the Organ, performed before their Majesties at the Chapel Royal, St. Paul's Cathedral, etc.''''The Story of Organ Music'' by Charles Francis Abdy Williams (London, W. Scott, 1905).

Life

He was the third son of John Dupuis, a member of a Huguenot family who is said to have held an appointment at court. Dupuis was born 5 November 1733, and was brought up as a chorister in the Chapel Royal under

Bernard Gates Bernard Gates (The Hague, 23 April 1686 - North Aston, 15 November 1773, aged 87) was an English composer, and a bass singer employed by Handel in his oratorios. He was director of the choir at Westminster Abbey from 1740 to 1757. Surviving musi ...

and John Travers. On 3 December 1758 he was elected a member of the

Royal Society of Musicians The Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain is a charity in the United Kingdom that supports musicians. It is the oldest music-related charity in Great Britain, founded in 1738 as the ''Fund for Decay'd Musicians'' by a declaration of trust sign ...

. By 1773 Dupuis was organist of the Charlotte Street Chapel (now St. Peter's Chapel), near Buckingham Palace, and on the death of Boyce he was elected (24 March 1779) organist and composer to the Chapel Royal. On 26 June 1790 Dupuis accumulated the degrees of Mus.Bac. and Mus.Doc. at Oxford. In the same year he originated a sort of musical club, known as the Graduates' Meeting. Dupuis died at King's Row, Park Lane, 17 July 1796, and was buried in the west cloister of

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

on the 24th. A collection of his cathedral music, in 3 vols., was published after his death by his pupil John Spencer. Prefixed to this work is a portrait.

Family

His wife, who predeceased him, was named Martha Skelton. They had three sons, Thomas Skelton (1766–1795), George (died an infant), and Charles (1770–1824).

References

External links

* ;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Dupuis, Thomas Sanders English classical composers of church music English organists English male organists 1733 births 1796 deaths 18th-century classical composers 18th-century British male musicians 18th-century keyboardists English Classical-period composers English male classical composers